Substrate processing apparatus and method thereof

ABSTRACT

A substrate processing apparatus  10  for processing a glass substrate  50  comprises a slider  20  on which the glass substrate  50  is placed, a process chamber  30  that can be mounted on the slider  20 , and light irradiation units  110, 120 . The process chamber  30  comprises a supply inlet  33  for supplying process fluid, a drain outlet  34  for draining out the process fluid, and a processing space  32 , wherein one plane of the processing space that corresponds to the region to be processed is opened. When the process chamber  30  is mounted on the placing member  20 , the processing space  32  forms a processing space which is sealed with the glass substrate  50.

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119 of Japanese patent application 2003-206416, filed on Aug. 7, 2003 and Japanese patent application 2004-099129, filed on Mar. 30, 2004, which applications are both hereby incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and method thereof for processing substrates such as glass substrates for liquid crystal panels, plasma panels, or field emission panels, semiconductor wafers, and other thin sheet-like substrates.

BACKGROUND

Semiconductor integrated circuits are formed by repetitively performing processes, such as film-forming, lithography, etching, ion implantation, and resist stripping, on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate. Before the film-forming is performed on the substrate, or after the resist stripping is performed, cleaning is performed to clean the surface of the substrate.

Cleaning apparatuses for cleaning substrates are classified into two major types, batch-type and single-wafer type. The batch-type, in which a plurality of substrates are immersed into a plurality of baths or a single bath, provides excellent throughput but has a disadvantage in that its footprint becomes larger if wafer size becomes larger. By contrast, the single-wafer type, in which a substrate is processed one by one, has advantages in that its footprint can be reduced and that cleaning with improved uniformity can be performed even for a larger wafer. In a spin cleaning apparatus, a typical example of the single-wafer type, a substrate is spun while the substrate is held horizontally, and then chemical solutions or pure water are sprayed from a cleaning nozzle to clean the surface of the substrate. If the chemical solutions are used only once and disposed, the cost will increase. Therefore, spin cleaning apparatuses which can selectively collect used chemical solutions and reuse them have been developed.

In contrast to the spin cleaning apparatus, another cleaning apparatus was disclosed. For example, in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-224627 in which a single wafer 22 is placed in a cleaning vessel 12, and a cleaning fluid is flown from an introduction part 14 in the cleaning vessel 12 so that it flows along both surfaces of the wafer 22 uniformly at a high speed for dissolving and peeling off foreign particles that are adhered to the surfaces of the wafer 22, and the fluid is drained out from a discharge part 16 after the cleaning.

Recently, glass substrates for display, such as liquid crystal panels, plasma panels, or field emission panels, are becoming larger in size as their screen sizes have become larger. This is why the single-wafer types have been adopted for the processing of glass substrates rather than batch-types. However, even in the single-wafer type, if the dimensions of the glass substrate become large, it is required to provide appropriate supports for the glass substrate because the large glass substrate may bend under its own weight, and devices or the glass substrate may be damaged. FIG. 25 shows an example of a conventional method for cleaning a glass substrate. Glass substrate 200 is supported by a plurality of rollers 210. The glass substrate 200 is transferred by rotating the rollers 210. Concurrently with the transfer, chemical solutions or pure water are sprayed from a shower head 220 toward the surface of the glass substrate 200 to clean the glass substrate 200.

However, the conventional cleaning method shown in FIG. 25 has several problems to be solved. When the chemical solutions are sprayed from the shower head 220, non-uniformity may arise during the cleaning of the surface of the glass substrate 200. Especially when the dimension of the glass substrate 200 is large, it is difficult to clean the substrate uniformly. Furthermore, because the rollers 210 are exposed to the chemical solution from the shower head 220 and to the chemical solution after the cleaning of the glass substrate 200, the lower surface of the glass substrate 200 is contaminated by the rollers 210, and this contamination is transferred to subsequent processes. In addition, if the chemical solutions from the shower head 220 are used only once, the cost for the consumption of chemical solutions increases. Also, if a large amount of chemical solution is drained out, it has adverse impacts on the environment.

Alternatively, it is also possible to clean a glass substrate by placing it in the cleaning vessel as shown in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-224627. However, in this configuration, there is a problem in that it is not easy to adapt for the glass substrate having large dimensions. In addition, depending on the glass substrate, there may be some portions that are not desirable to be exposed to chemical solutions, but it is very troublesome and difficult to give masking on these portions and to mount them in the cleaning vessel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, embodiments of the present invention solve problems in the above-mentioned conventional technology and provide a substrate processing apparatus and a method thereof that is capable of more uniformly processing a selected region to be processed on a substrate such as a glass substrate. For example, embodiments of the invention provide a substrate processing apparatus and a method thereof wherein the apparatus itself can be made extremely thin. Embodiments of the invention also provide a cost effective substrate processing apparatus and a method thereof that can reduce the cost required for the consumption of chemical solutions.

A substrate processing apparatus for processing substrates according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a placing member on which a substrate is placed, a process chamber that can be mounted on the placing member, and a light irradiation unit for irradiating the substrate in the process chamber with light. The process chamber comprises a supply inlet for supplying process fluid, a drain outlet for draining out the process fluid, and a processing space, wherein one plane of the processing space that corresponds to the region to be processed on the substrate is opened. When the process chamber is mounted on the placing member, the processing space forms a processing space sealed with the substrate. The light irradiation function enables to concurrently perform drying and decomposition of organics on the substrate in the space in the process chamber, which enhances process efficiency.

According to embodiments of the present invention, only desired regions of a substrate can be selectively processed. Moreover, because the process chamber and the placing member are separate entities, and because the processing space is formed so that it corresponds to the region to be processed on the substrate, the apparatus can easily be adapted for larger substrates. Furthermore, because it is possible to supply a process fluid that is supplied from the supply inlet to the processing space, and to drain out the process fluid from the drain outlet after the processing, a plurality of processings can be performed in a single processing space by switching the supply of each process fluid sequentially. The term “process fluid” is used herein to include not only liquid but also fluid such as gases. For example, it is also possible to supply dry gas including inert gas to dry the region to be processed on the substrate. Needless to say, it is also possible to supply chemical solutions, rinsing solutions, or etching solutions to perform cleaning or etching.

Preferably, the processing space comprises a plane that is parallel with the region to be processed on the substrate. This makes the flow of the process fluid uniform, and thus it is possible to process the region to be processed on the substrate uniformly. Furthermore, by making the processing space as thin as possible, the consumption of the process fluid can be reduced, in addition, the process chamber can be made thinner and thus the apparatus itself can be made smaller and thinner.

The processing space is connected to the supply inlet and the drain outlet, and the process fluid supplied from the supply inlet is drained out from the drain outlet after the processing. By changing the timing of the supply of each process fluid, it is possible to selectively collect the process fluid from the drain outlet and reuse the process fluid.

Preferably, the process chamber comprises a second space which is isolated from the processing space. When the process chamber is mounted on the placing member, the second space forms a sealed space that corresponds to the region not to be processed on the substrate. The sealed space is isolated from the processing space, that is, isolated from the process fluid. It is further preferable that the substrate processing apparatus comprises an air knife that moves relative to the placing member, and is capable of drying the substrate.

The process chamber further comprises a seal element surrounding the processing space and the second space, wherein the seal element is brought into contact with the substrate when the process chamber is mounted on the placing member. The processing space and the second space are recessed portions, each having a certain depth, formed in the backside of the process chamber. Along the periphery of the recessed portions, a groove is formed, and preferably the seal element is inserted in the groove.

A method for processing a substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises placing a substrate on a placing member, mounting a process chamber on the placing member to form a processing space that corresponds to the region to be selectively processed on the substrate, supplying process fluid to the processing space for processing the region to be selectively processed on the substrate with the process fluid, and draining out the process fluid used for the processing, and applying light into the process chamber. Preferably, applying light includes applying infrared rays into the processing space in the process chamber to dry the substrate. Furthermore, applying light includes applying ultraviolet rays into the processing space in the process chamber to decompose organics on the surface of the substrate.

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, by mounting a process chamber on a placing member on which a substrate is placed, a processing space that corresponds to the selected region to be processed on the substrate is formed, and the processing of the selected region to be processed is processed in the processing space. With this configuration, it is possible to effectively perform the processing of desired regions, and to easily adapt the apparatus for the substrates having larger dimensions. In addition, with the use of the light irradiation function, it becomes possible to concurrently perform processings, such as drying of the substrate and decomposition of organics, and thus yields of products and process efficiency can be improved. The light sources to be applied are not limited to the wavelength of ultraviolet rays and infrared rays, and other light sources such as white light, visible light, or laser light can be used.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1(a)-(c) show the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 1(a) is its perspective view, FIG. 1(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1(a), and FIG. 1(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 1(a);

FIGS. 2(a)-(c) show the configuration of a seal element;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a glass substrate;

FIG. 4 shows the configuration of an air knife;

FIG. 5 shows the movements during the processing of the substrate processing apparatus;

FIGS. 6(a)-(b) show the movements during the processing of the substrate processing apparatus;

FIG. 7 shows the movements during the processing of the substrate processing apparatus;

FIG. 8 shows an example of processings by the substrate processing apparatus;

FIGS. 9(a)-(e) show the configuration and movements of a substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment;

FIG. 10(a) is a cross-sectional view showing details of an electrode portion, FIG. 10(b) is a bottom view in which a connector is connected to the electrode portion, and FIG. 10(c) is a cross-sectional view in which a connector is connected to the electrode portion;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of a glass substrate to be processed according to the third embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to the third embodiment;

FIGS. 13(a)-(b) are modified examples of the seal element;

FIGS. 14(a)-(c) show another example of the process chamber, wherein FIG. 14(a) is its perspective view, FIG. 14(b) is its front view, and FIG. 14(c) is its side view;

FIGS. 15(a)-(c) show another example of the process chamber, wherein FIG. 15(a) is its perspective view, FIG. 15(b) is its front view, and FIG. 15(c) is its side view;

FIGS. 16(a)-(b) show a substrate processing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment, wherein FIG. 16(a) is a perspective view of the process chamber, and FIG. 16(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 16(a);

FIGS. 17(a)-(b) show a substrate processing apparatus according to the fifth embodiment, wherein FIG. 17(a) is its front view, and FIG. 17(b) is its cross-sectional view;

FIGS. 18(a)-(b) are a modified example of the substrate processing apparatus according to the fifth embodiment, wherein electrode regions are formed on the four sides of the glass substrate;

FIG. 19 is a modified example of the substrate processing apparatus according to the fifth embodiment;

FIG. 20 is a modified example of the substrate processing apparatus according to the fifth embodiment;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a substrate processing apparatus according to the sixth embodiment;

FIGS. 22(a)-(b) show the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to the sixth embodiment, wherein light irradiating function is added to the configuration shown in FIG. 17;

FIGS. 23(a)-(b) show the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to the sixth embodiment, wherein light irradiating function is added to the configuration shown in FIG. 18;

FIG. 24 shows the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to the sixth embodiment, wherein light irradiating function is added to the configuration shown in FIG. 20; and

FIG. 25 shows a conventional processing for cleaning a glass substrate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The making and using of the presently preferred embodiments are discussed in detail below. It should be appreciated, however, that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention, and do not limit the scope of the invention.

With reference to the drawings, preferred embodiments of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention are described as follows.

FIGS. 1(a)-(c) show the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 1(a) is its perspective view, FIG. 1(b) is a cross-sectional view of a process chamber taken along line A-A of FIG. 1(a), and FIG. 1(c) is a cross-sectional view of a slider taken along line B-B of FIG. 1(a). The substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment comprises a slider 20 and a process chamber 30 that is to be mounted on the slider 20. The slider 20 has a thin sheet-like rectangular shape, and is formed from, for example, plastics such as Polyvinyl Chloride or Teflon (registered trademark) or, in some cases, formed from quartz, stainless or stainless coated with anti-corrosive film such as Teflon (registered trademark).

The slider 20 is supported by a plurality of rollers 40 and is capable of siding along the direction of arrow X by the rotation of the rollers 40 which are driven by a driving unit 42. The slider 20 has a flat surface on which a glass substrate 50 to be processed is positioned and placed. Preferably, as shown in FIG. 1(c), a hollow 22 that corresponds to the dimensions and thickness of the glass substrate 50 is formed on the surface of the slider 20. Instead of forming the hollow 22, it is also possible to provide holding tools on the surface of the slider 20 for holding the glass substrate 50 at a predetermined position. In addition, the slider 20 can be transferred by using belts, for example, instead of the transfer by the rollers 40.

The process chamber 30 has a thin sheet-like rectangular shape, and is formed from Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) to be transparent. On the back surface 31 of the process chamber, a processing space 32 having a rectangular shape is formed, wherein one plane of the processing space is opened. The processing space 32 extends in a direction longitudinally of the process chamber 30. The processing space 32 is connected to a supply inlet 33 at one end plane of the process chamber 30, and connected to a drain outlet 34 at the opposite end plane. The processing space 32 may have dimensions of 300 mm in width, 400 mm in length, and 5 mm in depth, for example. In addition, on the back surface 31 of the process chamber 30, a groove 35 is formed along the periphery of the processing space 32, and a seal element 36 is inserted in the groove 35. The seal element 36, preferably partly protruding from the back surface 31, has elasticity, and is formed by using a silicon sponge or fluoro sponge, for example.

FIGS. 2(a)-(c) show examples of the shape of the seal element. As shown in FIG. 2(a), a seal element 36 has a rectangular outline, and a cut-groove 36 a is formed along the direction of its length. Part of the planes of the rectangular outline slightly protrudes from the back surface 31. Alternatively, a cut-groove 36 b may be formed along the bottom plane as shown in FIG. 2(b), or, as shown in FIG. 2(c), a combination of a seal element 36 c having the shape of the bracket sign “[” and a seal element 36 d having the shape similar to the letter “E” may be used to form cut-grooves between them. When the process chamber 30 is mounted on the slider 20 as described later, the seal element 36 is brought into contact with the glass substrate 50, and becomes an fluid-tight seal with the glass substrate 50, and hermetically seals the processing space 32. For this purpose, it is desirable that the seal element that contacts with the glass substrate is nearly flat and has a large contact area. Preferably, the seal element 36 elastically contacts with the glass substrate 50 by its own elasticity.

An electrode portion 30 a located at a side in longitudinal direction of the process chamber 30 comprises a plurality of probe terminals 37 arranged in a row. On the back surface 31 of the process chamber 30, another space 32 b that is isolated from the processing space 32 by a partition 32 a is formed. The space 32 b extends in the direction of the length of the process chamber 30, and a plurality of through holes 38 are formed in the space 32 b. The space 32 b is connected with the top surface via the through holes 38, and each of the probe terminals 37 are inserted into each of the through holes 38. At the tips of the probe terminals 37 that protrude from the through holes 38, coil springs 39 are wound around. The probe terminals 37 are energized by the coil springs 39 downward in the axial direction. The electrode portion 30 a can be formed integrally with the process chamber 30, or alternatively, an individual electrode portion 30 a can be connected with the process chamber 30.

At both ends of the back surface 31 of the process chamber 30, steps 31 a and 31 b are formed. The length from the left step 31 a to the right step 31 b is approximately equal to the longitudinal length of the slider 20. Therefore, the steps 31 a and 31 b are aligned with both ends of the slider 20 when the process chamber 30 is mounted on the slider 20.

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a glass substrate 50. The glass substrate 50 comprises an active region 52 and an electrode region 54 in proximity to the active region 52. In the active region 52, an array of light-emitting elements, for example, liquid crystal or plasma, are aligned. The dimensions of the glass substrate 50 may be 470 mm×370 mm×1 mm, for example. In the electrode region 54, a plurality of electrode pads 56 for applying voltage to each light-emitting element are aligned in a row. The present embodiment is characterized in that the substrate processing apparatus 10 is capable of processing, for example, cleaning or etching, a selected portion of the glass substrate 50. In other words, the substrate processing apparatus is capable of excluding the portion that is not desirable to be exposed to cleaning fluid or etching fluid, such as the electrode region 54, from the portion to be processed. In the present embodiment, the active region 52 is the portion to be processed and the electrode region 54 is the portion not to be processed.

FIG. 4 shows the configuration of an air knife. Air knife 60 dries the glass substrate 50 by blowing fluid onto the glass substrate 50 on the slider 20. The air knife 60 comprises a body 62 that is nearly triangular in cross section and a pair of suction lines 64 that are connected to both longitudinal ends of the body 62. In the body 62, an air vent 66 that extends along its length is formed. At the sharp-pointed portion of the body 62, a plurality of spray holes (not shown) are formed at regular intervals along its length. The plurality of spray holes are connected to the air vent 66. The pair of suction lines 64 is connected to the air vent 66, and a gas supply source (not shown) is connected to one of the suction lines 64. From the gas supply source, inert gas such as nitrogen or dry air including inert gas is supplied.

Now, a method for processing with the substrate processing apparatus is described. First, as shown in FIG. 5, a glass substrate 50 to be processed is positioned on the slider 20 so that the electrode region 54 faces forward (step A). Then, the rollers 40 are rotated by the driving unit 42, and the slider 20 is brought to a stop at a predetermined position (step B). Then, the process chamber 30 is lowered by a driving unit (not shown) above the slider 20, and the process chamber 30 is fixed on the slider 20 so that the steps 31 a and 31 b of the process chamber 30 fit in the both ends of the slider 20 (step C).

At this time, the seal element 36 of the process chamber 30 is brought into contact with the glass substrate 50, and the processing space 32 including the active region 52 is kept fluid-tight. In addition, the space 32 b that corresponds to the electrode region 54 is isolated from the processing space 32. As a result, two sealed processing spaces 32 and 32 b are formed on the glass substrate 50. Under this condition, the gap between the active region 52 and the surface of the processing space 32 that opposes the active region 52 is approximately 5 mm.

Then, as shown in FIG. 6, process fluid that is required for the processing of the glass substrate 50 is supplied from the supply inlet 33 of the process chamber (step D). Although not shown herein, a supply line for supplying process fluid is connected to the supply inlet 33, and a drain line for collecting the process fluid used for the processing is connected to the drain outlet 34. With these means, the process fluid supplied from the supply inlet 33 is used for the processing in the processing space 32, that is, the processing of the surface of the active region 52, and drained out from the drain outlet 34. At this time, the space 32 b, that is, the electrode region 54 of the glass substrate 50, is not exposed to the process fluid. It is noted that it is possible to monitor the status of the processing of the active region 52 of the glass substrate 50 because the process chamber 30 is formed to be transparent.

After the processing is completed, the supply of the process fluid is stopped, and the process chamber 30 is lifted to separate it from the slider 20 as shown in FIG. 7 (step E). Then, the air knife 60 is positioned above the slider 20, and the slider 20 is moved toward its original position (step F). At this time, air including inert gas is blown from the air knife 60 toward the surface of the glass substrate 50 to dry the glass substrate. After the drying by the air knife, the glass substrate 50 is taken out from the slider 20 (step G).

By the use of the substrate processing apparatus 10 mentioned above, the following effects can be obtained. A selected region of the glass substrate 50 can be processed, and the region that is not desirable to be exposed to the process fluid is isolated from the processing. By sequentially changing the process fluid that is supplied from the supply inlet 33, a plurality of processings (chemical processing, rinse processing, etc.) can be sequentially performed in a single processing chamber 30. By making the processing space 32 thinner, the amount of the processing fluid that is used for one processing can be reduced. In addition, the substrate processing apparatus 10 can also be made smaller and thinner. Furthermore, by making at least the surface of the process chamber 30 transparent, it becomes possible to monitor the status of the processing of the substrate from outside. From the supply inlet 33, not only liquid but also fluid such as gases can be supplied.

FIG. 8 shows an example of specific processings by using the substrate processing apparatus 10. After setting the process chamber 30 on the slider 20 as shown in FIG. 5, process fluid, for example, chemical solution for cleaning, is supplied from the supply inlet 33 (step S100) to clean the active region 52. After the cleaning process, dry gas is supplied from the supply inlet 33 (step S101) for purging the chemical solution remaining in the processing space 32, and draining it from the drain outlet. For dry gas, nitrogen and dried air can be used. Then, ultra pure water or dedicated rinsing solution is supplied from the supply inlet to perform rinse processing (step S102).

Next, dry gas is supplied (step S103) to purge the rinsing solution. Then, the rinsing process is performed with ultra pure water (step S104), and dry gas is supplied (step S105) to purge the ultra pure water. Preferably, dry gas is supplied again (step S106) for rough drying. However, the step S106 can be omitted. Then, dry gas at a high temperature is supplied (step S107) to enhance drying. Next, dry gas is supplied (step S108) to purge the dry gas at the high temperature. After the processing and drying in the processing space 32 are completed (step S109), the process chamber 30 is separated from the slider 20, and the slider 20 is slid (step S110), and final drying of the glass substrate 50 is performed by the air knife 60 (step S111).

Next, the second embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. In the first embodiment, the processing of the glass substrate 50 was performed in the condition where the electrode region 54 of the glass substrate is isolated from the active region 52. However, in the second embodiment, the active region 52 is processed in a condition where a connector 70 is connected to an electrode portion 30 a of the process chamber 30 and voltage is applied to electrode pads 56 in the electrode region 54.

FIG. 10(a) is a cross-sectional view showing details of an electrode portion 30 a and a connector 70. FIG. 10(b) is a plan view in which the connector 70 is connected to the electrode portion 30 a, and FIG. 10(c) is its cross-sectional view. As mentioned above, on the backside of the electrode portion 30 a, a space 32 b is formed, and the tips of the probe terminals 37 are located in the space 32 b. When the process chamber 30 is mounted on the slider 20, the probe terminals 37 elastically press its tips onto the electrode pads 56 of the glass substrate 50 to establish electrical connections.

At the upper part of the electrode portion 30 a, the connector 70 is connected. The connector 70 comprises a power supply line 72 for supplying power to the probe terminals 37 of the electrode portion 30 a. The power supply line 72 extends in the connector 70 from one end of the connector 70 to the other end. In addition, in the bottom plane 74 of the connector 70, holes 74 a through which the probe terminals 37 are to be inserted are formed in a row. By inserting the top ends of the probe terminals 37 into the holes 74 a, electrical connections between the probe terminals 37 and the power supply line 72 are established.

In the bottom plane of the electrode portion 30 a, a groove 76 is formed surrounding the space 32 b, and a seal element 78 is inserted in the groove 76. The seal element 78 is brought into contact with the surface of the glass substrate 50, and keeps the space 32 b fluid-tight and isolates from outside. In addition, a vacuum line 79 a is connected to the space 32 b via a vacuum port 79, and the space 32 b is kept at a certain degree of vacuum through the vacuum port 79. The material and configuration of the seal element 78 are similar to those of the seal element 36 mentioned above.

FIG. 9(a) is a plan view of the process chamber 30 to which the connector 70 is connected, and the air knife 60 is also shown. FIGS. 9(b) and (d) are a front view and a side view of the process chamber 30 which is mounted on the slider 20. FIGS. 9(c) and (e) are a front view and a side view of the process chamber 30 which is separated from the slider 20.

As shown in FIG. 9(a), when the process chamber 30 is mounted on the slider 20, the connector 70 is connected to the electrode portion 30 a and the air knife 60 is positioned adjacent to the connector 70. To one side of the slider 20, a drawer handle 26 is attached. The drawer handle 26, instead of the driving unit 42, is used to slide the slider 20. The seal element 78 provided surrounding the space 32 b of the electrode portion 30 a is brought into contact with the glass substrate 50 to keep the space 32 b including the electrode region 54 fluid-tight. Then, probe terminals 37 are brought into contact with the electrode pads 56 under elastic pressure by the energizing force of the coil springs 39.

During the processing of the glass substrate 50, process fluid is supplied from the supply inlet 33 of the process chamber 30. In the case of etching process, etching solutions are supplied, and in the case of cleaning process, cleaning fluid is supplied, and the processing of the active region 52 of the glass substrate 50 is performed. During the processing, voltage is applied to the electrode pads 56 of the glass substrate 50 from the power supply line 72 of the connector 70 through the probe terminals 37. Furthermore, the space 32 b including the electrode pads 56 is kept under vacuum by the vacuum line 79 a. By applying voltage to the electrode pads 56, a certain electric field is generated at a predetermined portion of the active region 52, for example. This enables to vary the selectivity of etching by accelerating, or conversely decelerating, the etching speed of this portion. In addition, by keeping the space 32 b under vacuum, it can be highly prevented that the electrode region 54 is contaminated by process fluid or other contaminants.

After the processing, the process chamber 30 is lifted above the slider 20, and then the slider 20 is moved by the handle 26. At this time, dry gas is blown from the air knife 60 to dry the surface of the glass substrate 50. By placing another air knife 60 a on the back surface of the glass substrate 50, both surfaces of the glass substrate 50 can be concurrently dried.

The third embodiment of the present invention is now described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. In the third embodiment, the glass substrate 50 on which a pair of electrode regions 54 are aligned at opposing sides of the active region 52 as shown in FIG. 11 is processed. In this case, in the process chamber 30, another space 32 b that is similar to the space 32 b described in the first and second embodiments is formed. With these two spaces 32 b, the pair of electrode regions 54 is kept fluid-tight. FIG. 12 is a plan view of the process chamber 30 which is mounted on the slider. Connectors 70 are placed at the positions that correspond to the electrode regions 54 of the glass substrate 50. The voltage from the power supply lines 72 of the connectors 70 is applied to each electrode pads 56 through probe terminals 37.

In the above-mentioned embodiments, the examples of the processing of glass substrates were shown, however, the present invention can be applicable to the processing of thin sheet-like substrates, such as semiconductor wafers, other than glass substrates. Furthermore, the shapes, dimensions, and materials of the process chamber and the slider can be modified as appropriate without departing from the inventive scope of the present invention. Moreover, the dimensions and shape of the processing space 32 formed in the process chamber 30 can be modified as appropriate depending on the substrate to be processed or the region to be processed. In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the example of the region that is not desirable to be processed was the electrode region 54, however, it is not necessarily limited to it. If desired, a specified region in the active region 52 can be selected as the region not to be processed. Furthermore, the number of regions to be processed on the substrate is not limited to one, but can be more than one. For example, a plurality of regions on the active region 52 can be selected as the regions to be processed, and a plurality of regions can be selected as the regions not to be processed. In such cases, the shapes of the processing spaces and seal elements that are mounted to the process chamber can be modified accordingly.

In the above embodiments, the up-and-down reciprocating motion of the process chamber 30 in a vertical direction can be automated by a lifting mechanism that uses a stepping motor, for example. In addition, the movement of the process chamber 30 and the slider 20 can be automated. While in the above embodiments, the example in which the slider 20 was moved horizontally and the process chamber 30 was moved vertically was shown, the movements are not limited to the example. Alternatively, the slider 20 can be held stationary and the process chamber 30 can be moved horizontally and vertically, or both of the slider 20 and the process chamber 30 can be moved horizontally and vertically.

Furthermore, the process fluid that is drained out from the drain outlet 34 of the process chamber 30 can be collected, and the collected process fluid can be circulated so that it can be reused.

FIGS. 13(a)-(b) are modified examples of the seal element. The seal element in FIG. 13(a) has a cylindrical outline (cross-section is round). The seal element is inserted in the groove 35 so that about half of the seal element protrudes from the groove. The seal element in FIG. 13(b) has a nearly semicylindrical outline (cross-section is elongated semicircle). The flat planes of the seal element are inserted in the groove 35 so that its semicylindrical portion protrudes from the groove 35. These seal elements are formed from elastic materials such as rubber, and elastically contact with the glass substrate to ensure preferable sealing effects.

FIGS. 14(a)-(c) show an example of the configuration of the process chamber 30, wherein electrode regions 54 are formed on three sides along the periphery of the glass substrate 50. FIG. 14(a) is its perspective view, FIG. 14(b) is its front view, and FIG. 14(c) is its side view. Similar to the embodiments mentioned above, the process chamber 30 comprises electrode portions 30 a at the positions which correspond to the electrode regions 54, and a plurality of probe terminals 37 are aligned with each electrode portion 30 a. As shown in FIG. 14(b) and FIG. 14(c), in this case, the supply inlet 33 of the process chamber 30 is bent upward at one end of the process chamber 30 so that the supply inlet 33 does not interfere with the electrode portions 30 a (probe terminals).

FIGS. 15(a)-(c) show an example of the configuration of the process chamber 30, wherein electrode regions 54 are formed on all four sides along the periphery of the glass substrate 50. FIG. 15(a) is its perspective view, FIG. 15(b) is its front view, and FIG. 15(c) is its side view. The process chamber 30 comprises electrode portions 30 a at the positions, which correspond to the electrode regions 54, and a plurality of probe terminals 37 are aligned with each electrode portion 30 a. The supply inlet 33 and the drain outlet 34 are positioned so that they do not interfere with the electrode portions 30 a at the ends of the process chamber 30.

While in the embodiments described above, the examples in which the electrode regions 54 are formed on the glass substrate 50, the glass substrate 50 does not necessarily comprise electrodes such as the electrode regions 54. In such cases, the process chamber 30 does not require electrode portions 30 a nor probe terminals.

Furthermore, even in the case where the glass substrate 50 comprises one or more electrode regions 54, the process chamber 30 does not necessarily comprise electrode portions 30 a and probe terminals 37. Only required is the environment in which the region of the glass substrate to be processed can be processed by the process chamber 30.

Then, the fourth embodiment of the present invention is described. FIGS. 16(a)-(b) show a substrate processing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 16(a) is a perspective view of a process chamber 30, and FIG. 16(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 16(a). In the fourth embodiment, unlike in the first embodiment, a plurality of probe terminals 37 are arranged on the process chamber 30 in two dimensions. On the upper plane of the process chamber 30, a plurality of terminal inserting holes 30 b which do not pass through the processing space 32 are formed, and probe terminals 37 are inserted into these holes. Preferably, the tips of the probe terminals 37 are circular in cross section, and abut on the bottom of the holes 30 b.

The plurality of probe terminals 37 are connected to power supply terminals (not shown), and a certain voltage is applied from the power supply terminals. At this time, voltage can be applied to all of the plurality of probe terminals 37, or can be applied to selected probe terminals 37. When voltage is applied to the probe terminals 37, electric field is established between the terminals and the electrode portion or conductive region formed in the active region 52 of the glass substrate 50. Supposing that process fluid or other fluid having electric property is filled in the processing space 32, it is possible to give effects of the electric field on the fluid. For example, by selecting the region at which electric field is to be established, the processing (for example, etching or cleaning) of the selected region can be accelerated or, to the contrary, inhibited.

The number, pitch, arrangement, or shape of the plurality of probe terminals 37 can be modified as appropriate. While the probe terminals 37 shown in FIG. 16(a)-(b) do not pass through the processing space 32, it is possible to make them pass through the processing space 32. In this case, not to impair the fluid-tightness of the processing space 32, o-rings, or the like, may be attached to the probe terminals 37 for providing a fluid-tight seal with the terminal inserting holes 30 b. Furthermore, similar to the first embodiment, the tips of the probe terminals 37 can be energized by coil springs so that they are brought in contact with the active region 52 of the glass substrate 50 in the processing space 32 at a certain contact pressure.

With these configurations, the processing of the glass substrate can be performed while applying electric field to the selected regions of the glass substrate. The processing of the active region can be performed depending on the presence or absence of electric field, or depending on the magnitude of the electric field. Needless to say, the present invention can be applied to substrates other than glass substrates such as semiconductor wafers.

Next, the fifth embodiment of the present invention is described. FIGS. 17(a)-(b) show a substrate processing apparatus according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 17(a) is its front view and FIG. 17(b) is its cross-sectional view. In the fifth embodiment, process chambers 30 as shown in FIG. 14 are placed in pairs above and below the slider 20. A pair of glass substrates 50 are held stationary with holding tools above and below the slider 20, and the process chambers 30 are mounted above and below the slider 20. Then the processing of two glass substrates can be performed in the process chambers 30 formed above and below the slider 20. In the directions of the three sides of the process chambers 30, probes 37 are placed so that they correspond to the electrode regions 54.

Alternatively, the process chambers 30 that are applicable to the four sides' configuration as shown in FIG. 15(a) can be mounted above and below the slider 20. In this case, probes 37 are attached as shown in FIGS. 18(a)-(b) on the four sides of the periphery of the process chambers.

Furthermore, in the fifth embodiment, the process chambers 30 in which electric field is to be applied in the processing space 32, as shown in FIG. 16, can be placed in pairs above and below the slider 20. While in the fifth embodiment, the example in which a pair of glass substrates 50 were mounted above and below the slider 20 was shown, it is also possible to concurrently perform the processing of both surfaces of one sheet of glass substrate 50. In this case, instead of forming a hollow (recessed portion) 22 in the slider 20, a through hole 24 having a rectangular shape is formed as shown in FIG. 19. Then, the glass substrate 50 is placed on the slider 20 so that the active region 52 of the glass substrate 50 aligns with the through hole 24. On the slider 20, holding tools for holding the glass substrate 50 can be provided. With these configurations, a pair of processing spaces 32 on upper and lower surfaces of one sheet of glass substrate 50, and therefore, both surfaces of the glass substrate 50 can be concurrently performed.

Furthermore, in the case of performing both surfaces of one sheet of glass substrate 50, slider 20 is not necessarily required. For example, as shown in FIG. 20, a first process chamber 30 can be mounted on the side of the upper surface of the glass substrate 50, and a second process chamber 30 can be mounted on the side of the lower surface of the glass substrate 50. With this method, the glass substrate 50 itself plays the role of the slider 20, and the processing of both surfaces of the glass substrate 50 can be concurrently performed in the processing space 32.

Then, the sixth embodiment of the present invention is described. In the sixth embodiment, a light irradiation unit is added to the substrate processing apparatus of the first to fifth embodiments. As shown in FIG. 21, a light irradiation unit 100 is placed above the process chamber 30. The process chamber 30, which is made transparent so that the inside of the process chamber 30 can be observed as described above, also works as a transparent window that lets the light from the light irradiation unit 100 pass through. The region of the transparent window can be the entire top plane of the process chamber 30, or can be a limited region. For the transparent window, sapphire glass or quartz can be used, for example.

The light irradiation unit 100 comprises a lamp inside. The light from the lamp irradiates the entire plane of the active region 52 of the glass substrate 50 at approximately uniform intensity. With the light irradiation function like this, the drying of moisture or the decomposition of organics on the surface of the glass substrate or semiconductor substrate can be concurrently performed with the steps, such as cleaning, rinsing, or drying, as shown in FIG. 8.

For the light irradiation unit 100, a lamp that applies ultraviolet rays can be used, for example. As an example, a semiconductor wafer is used as the substrate to be processed. By irradiating the surface of the wafer with the ultraviolet rays from the light irradiation unit 100 during the rinsing step of the wafer, organics remaining on the surface of the wafer can be decomposed. In this case, rinsing solution may flow in the process chamber 30, or the supplying of the rinsing solution may be stopped. For example, a trace of remaining resist, organic chemical liquid, or a trace of remaining organics can be preferably decomposed by the ultraviolet rays.

Furthermore, other than the ultraviolet ray lamp, a lamp that applies infrared rays can also be used. For example, in the step of FIG. 8, dry gas is supplied after the step of rising the wafer W (such as steps S103, S105, S107 or S108), but it is also possible to irradiate the wafer with the infrared rays from the light irradiation unit 100 at the same time. By adding the irradiation to the drying by the dry gas, the vaporization of moisture that is remaining on the surface of the wafer can be enhanced. For example, the occurrence of watermarks due to the moisture that is remaining in fine patterning regions can be effectively suppressed. The application of infrared rays does not necessarily require dry gas, however, if inside of the processing space 32 of the process chamber 30 is filled with inert gas such as nitrogen, undesirable oxidation of the surface of the substrate can be prevented. When applying ultraviolet rays, by making the place an inert gas atmosphere, ozone generation can be prevented.

Moreover, it is also possible to keep inside of the processing space 32 under vacuum by using at least one of the supply inlet 33 or the drain outlet 34 of the process chamber 30, and apply infrared rays from the light irradiation unit under the condition.

Alternatively, the light irradiation unit 100 may comprise a combination of both of the lamp for applying ultraviolet rays and the lamp for applying infrared rays. In this case, a switching control can be done so that the driving of the lamp for ultraviolet rays and the driving of the lamp for infrared rays are switched depending on each process. The light irradiation unit 100 may be the unit that applies visible light or laser light other than ultraviolet rays or infrared rays. With these lights, drying of the surface of the substrate or decomposition of organics can be performed as same as mentioned above.

In addition, a region that passes light can be formed in the slider 20 so that light irradiation can be performed from below the slider. By this configuration, drying of the substrate or decomposition of organics can be performed both above and below the substrate.

Needless to say, the light irradiation function can be added to the fourth embodiment or the fifth embodiment. FIGS. 22(a)-(b) show a configuration in which a pair of light irradiation units 110, 120 are provided at the positions opposing to the above and below process chambers, adding to the configuration shown in FIG. 17 in which process chambers 30 are provided above and below. FIGS. 23(a)-(b) show a configuration in which a pair of light irradiation units 110, 120 are provided as same as mentioned above, adding to the configuration shown in FIG. 18 in which process chambers 30 are provided above and below. Furthermore, even in the type without the slider 20 as shown in FIG. 20, light irradiation units 110, 120 can be provided above and below as shown in FIG. 24.

The substrate processing apparatus and the method thereof according to the present invention can be widely applicable to the processing and fabrication of thin sheet-like substrates, for example, semiconductor substrate, flat panel substrate such as for liquid crystal display or plasma display.

While this invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications and combinations of the illustrative embodiments, as well as other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description. It is therefore intended that the appended claims encompass any such modifications or embodiments. 

1. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate comprising: a placing member on which a substrate is placed; and a process chamber that can be mounted on said placing member; wherein said process chamber comprises a supply inlet for supplying process fluid that includes fluid such as gases, a drain outlet for draining out the process fluid, and a processing space, wherein one plane of the processing space that corresponds to the region to be processed on the substrate is opened; and wherein a processing space that is sealed with the substrate is formed on said region to be processed on the substrate when said process chamber is mounted on said placing member.
 2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processing space is connected to said supply inlet and drain outlet, and the process fluid supplied from said supply inlet flows through said processing space and is drained out from said drain outlet.
 3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processing space comprises a plane being parallel with said region to be processed on the substrate.
 4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said process chamber further comprises a second space whose one plane is opened, wherein said second space is isolated from said processing space.
 5. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein a second sealed space is formed on the region not to be processed on said substrate when said process chamber is mounted on said placing member.
 6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein a second sealed space is formed on the second region to be processed on said substrate when said process chamber is mounted on said placing member.
 7. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, and further including a light irradiation unit for irradiating the substrate in the process chamber with light, wherein said process chamber comprises a light passing region that passes light, and wherein said light irradiation unit irradiates the substrate with light through said light passing region.
 8. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein said placing member comprises a light passing region that passes light, and wherein said light irradiation unit irradiates the substrate placed on the placing member through said light passing region.
 9. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein said light irradiation unit irradiates ultraviolet rays.
 10. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein said light irradiation unit irradiates infrared rays.
 11. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein said light passing region comprises a transparent window formed on one plane of the process chamber.
 12. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said process chamber comprises a seal element surrounding said processing space, wherein said seal element is brought into contact with said substrate when said process chamber is mounted on said placing member.
 13. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein said processing space is a recessed portion having a certain depth formed in the backside of the process chamber, wherein a groove is formed along the periphery of said recessed portion, and wherein the seal element is inserted in said groove.
 14. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein said substrate is a glass substrate, wherein the electrode portion of the glass substrate is said region not to be processed.
 15. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said process chamber comprises a plurality of terminals on its upper surface, wherein voltage is applied to the selected terminals.
 16. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein said plurality of terminals apply electric field between the terminals and a predetermined conductive region of the substrate in the processing space.
 17. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate comprising: a first process chamber that can be mounted on the side of a first main surface of the substrate, and forms a first sealed space between it and the first main surface of the substrate; a second process chamber that can be mounted on the side of a second main surface that opposes to the first main surface of the substrate, and forms a second sealed space between it and the second main surface of the substrate; and a light irradiation unit for applying light into the first and second sealed spaces through the first and second process chambers; wherein each of said first and second process chambers comprises a supply inlet for supplying process fluid that includes fluid such as gases, a drain outlet for draining out the process fluid, and a first or a second processing space that corresponds to the first or second sealed space on the substrate.
 18. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 17, wherein each of the first and second process chambers comprises a transparent window that passes light.
 19. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 18, wherein the substrate is placed on the placing member in which a through hole is formed.
 20. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the substrate is placed on the placing member in which a through hole is formed. 